The search was suspended after Coast Guard vessels and aircraft searched a roughly 2,000-square mile area and the shores of several islands.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, Maine (AP) _ The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 55-foot fishing vessel with two people on board that reported that it was taking on water off Mount Desert Island.

The search was suspended at about 5:30 p.m. Monday after Coast Guard vessels and aircraft searched a roughly 2,000-square mile area and the shores of several islands.

The distress call was received at about 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

The call said the boat was about nine miles northeast of Mount Desert Rock, a small island about 20 miles off Mount Desert Island.

The Coast Guard says a read on the distress signal suggested it came from Mount Desert Island or nearby waters, not from miles offshore. At this point, there is no reason to believe the call was a hoax.